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Detroit Free Press Personal Finance Columnist

Steve Lowisz, 43

Who he is: CEO and founder of Qualigence International; also a speaker to various groups on recruiting outlooks and hiring practices Where he lives: Northville Family: Married to wife Cheryl, has a teenage son and a teenage daughter Outlook for his business: Sees more opportunities to sell cost-effective services, including research and recruiting as a consultant on a hourly basis Hobbies: Calls himself a “car guy” who enjoys owning new and collectible cars, such as his 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

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Steve Lowisz, CEO and founder of Livonia-based Qualigence International, says he’s optimistic about growing his recruiting business in Michigan.

But Lowisz said his industry is already seeing some setbacks when trying to recruit and fill some jobs in Michigan after Detroit’s Chapter 9 filing for bankruptcy in July.

“It’s just another scar in getting the best and brightest to move back,” he said.

He heard of one successful job applicant at a vice president level who decided not to take a job in Michigan shortly after the Chapter 9 filing. Some people, he said, are more uncertain about the region’s outlook after the Detroit bankruptcy.

“It has a much larger reach than those who would just go to the city of Detroit,” he said.

Deep talent pool

Still, Lowisz said perception may not be reality. He sees positive signs and much value in the region, including well-educated workers and low-cost housing.

“We do think there’s opportunity here,” Lowisz said.

He was born in Detroit and grew up in Dearborn Heights.

“We've had a relatively easy time finding great employees.”

About 80% of the company’s business is outside of Michigan, but the company aims to grow more in Michigan. Qualigence had $4.5 million in revenues in 2012; Lowisz is the sole proprietor and owner.

Lowisz said his company goes beyond just finding the pool of talent that can be found online. He said the company employs about 16 researchers who make phone calls and do other research to find a deeper pool of applicants.

The company has an online learning management system called the Recruitment Education Institute at Recruitmentedu.com. The program offers online video training and interactive webinars for recruiters.

“The education piece is growing fast,” Lowisz said.

What's in a name?

Qualigence was founded in 1999. The original name was going to be S.O.S. Consulting Corp. But there was a name infringement issue with a company in Denver.

So Lowisz said he talked to his clients and asked what made his company’s customized service distinctive. The company often heard clients mention the words Quality and Intelligence. Hence, Qualigence.

Recruiting assignments have ranged from finding the right fit for an executive-level position that paid more than $10 million to manager salaries at $85,000 to $90,000 a year.

The firm has also worked with one company that needed to hire 10 workers who would make about $25,000 a year at a financial services call center.

A successful applicant has to have the correct “Candidate DNA,” including skills, competency, attitude and be the right fit for the culture.